Trump Feared Putin And Also Admired Him, Claims Stephanie Grisham

Former US President Donald Trump “admired” Russian President Vladimir Putin, but also feared him, says former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.

Grisham discussed Trump's relationship with the Russian President during an interview with The View on Tuesday. She said that she thinks Trump "feared Putin, and that "he was afraid of him." She added that the Russian leader "intimidated him because Putin is a scary man. She thinks that Trump "was afraid of" Putin. According to Grisham, Trump also "admired him greatly." She thinks that "he wanted to be able to kill whoever spoke out against him, so I think it was a lot of that."

Going by her experience of working with Trump, "he loved the dictators, he loved the people who could kill anyone, including the press.” According to The Hill, Putin has faced accusations of using violence against journalists and opposition leaders for several years.

Meanwhile, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in more than 1,300 civilian casualties. It includes 474 people killed and 861 injured, reported The Guardian.

Trump has been praising Putin for his actions in Ukraine, calling him a “genius”. Last month, in an interview in a radio show, Trump shared that after watching Putin’s actions on TV, he said, "This is genius." He was impressed when Putin declared a "big portion of … Ukraine" as independent.

He called it "wonderful." Trump found the move "smart, and he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper." According to Trump, that’s the "strongest peace force." He suggested that America could "use that on our southern border.” Trump also called Putin "very savvy."

His comments were criticized by the two Republicans serving on the committee that's investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Liz Cheney said that Trump’s statement “aids our enemies," and that his "interests don’t seem to align with the interests of" the US.

Trump later appeared to reverse course as he called the invasion a "holocaust" and urged Russia to stop attacking Ukraine.

As for Grisham, since leaving the White House, she has published a tell-all memoir, "I'll Take Your Questions Now." It's filled with behind-the-scenes stories of personal interactions with Trump and allegations of a toxic environment in the White House during his presidency.